It "appears NBC took a conservative estimate in prime-time household ratings guaranteed to advertisers" for the '02 Games, according to AD AGE's Goetzl & Thomaselli. Media execs said that NBC "projects a 17.8 ... rating but guarantees a 16.9, which would translate into 17.9 million households." Goetzl & Thomaselli write that "that would be slightly higher than" the '98 Nagano Games on CBS, which posted a 16.3 rating. Omnicom Group's OMD USA Dir of Sports Marketing Tom McGovern, whose company buys time for Visa, said, "We've revised our ratings predictions. We think [NBC] will overdeliver." But an exec at another agency "expects ratings to fall short of NBC's guarantee, forecasting a 16 rating for opening ceremonies and a 15 for the remainder of prime-time coverage" (AD AGE, 1/21 issue).

PREPARING FOR ATHENS: IOC officials said that the Greek government "has been unable to overcome problems with accommodation and transportation in planning" for the '04 Games. Swiss IOC member Denis Oswald, who serves as chief liaison to the '04 Games, said that "his six-member team had a generally 'positive' picture after a two-day review of preparations and was optimistic that Greece will be ready for the Olympics." But Oswald "was still disappointed about the accommodation and transportation problems." Oswald: "We have to keep the pressure. ... We have no reserve days for an unexpected situation" (Lisa Orkin, AP, 1/22).